Laundry machine



c. B. ASKEW 1,796,914.

March 17, 1931.

LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed March 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 57 5/ i Jinx 511mg 6h arias B. Ila/raw March 17, 1931. c ASKEW 1,796,914

LAUNDRY MACHINE Filed March 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0/2 axles B. A's/re w UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAR-LES B. ASKEW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS LAUNDRY MACHINE This invention relates to a laundry machine, comprising an apparatus in which the clothes are immersed in the washing fluid and then passed between a pair of rubbing,

or squeezing rolls, and then returned to the washing fluid during one cycle of operation, which cycle of operation may be repeated as many times as desirable. The apparatus further comprises a clothes removing conveyor 19 which is adapted to be shifted into the path of the squeezing rolls, for intercepting clothes and conveying the same beyond the machine after the same have been sufficiently washed.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combinations hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

:Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the laundry apparatus, taken substantially upon the line I-I of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially upon the line 11-11 of Figure 3. Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken substan tially upon the line TIL-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4; is a sectional view, taken substantially upon the line IVIV of Figure 1.

In referring to the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of this invention, it

will be observed that I have illustrated a cylindrical casing or tub 1, which contains the washing fluid in the bottom thereof; by the bottom of the tub is meant that portion of the interior surface which is the lowest and which supports the washing fluid. In. the

4.5 which are connected at their upper ends by transverse beams 3, secured to the lateral walls of the casing. Suitably supported within the casing 1 are flanged rollers 4 and 5. A pair of flanged rollers 4 are secured upon a shaft 6 suitably journalled in the casing 1,

Application filed March 10, 1926.

Serial No. 93,562.

The shaft 6 is provided with a gear 7 outwardly of the casing 1 (Figure 3), for rotation in a manner hereinafter to be explained for imparting rotation to the flanged rollers 4E. The flanged rollers 5 are supported upon a suitable shaft 8, which is suitably journalled in the sides of the casing.

The shafts 6 and 8 are parallel and are arranged above the axis of the casing 1 with one on each side of said axis.

A ring like clothes carrying cylindrical conveyor bucket wheel or a carrier 9 is supported for rotation upon the flanged rollers 4 and 5. This conveyor consists of a pair of rings or hands 10, supported upon the flanged rollers as shown in Figures 2, 8 and at.

Clothes retaining buckets 11, opening in wardly, are secured upon the rings 10, the outer peripheries of these buckets being perforated, as indicated at 12, in Figures 1 and 2. These buckets are formed by wall members 13, having laterally extending flanges 14 attached to the rings 10, and provided with spaced transverse partition plates 15 which are inclined to radii of the rings 10, as clear ly shown in Figure 4. V

In order to confine the conveyor 9 in frictional engagement with its rollers 4L and 5, spring pressed rollers 16 are provided bearing against the outer peripheries of the rings 10. The rollers 16 are mounted upon suitable shafts 17, supported in brackets 18, rising from the beams 3. The shafts 17 are secured in slidable bearings 19, mounted in slots 19 in said brackets. Springs 19 are confined in these slots for yieldingly pressing against the slidable bearings 19 to urge the rollers 16 against the rings 10.

Arranged within the inner circumference of the clothes conveyor 9 are a pair of coopcrating corrugated rolls20 and 21 which are supported for relative yielding and swinging movement. The roll 20 may be journalled in any suitable manner in connection with the sides of the casing 1; the roll 21 is journalled in a U-shaped bracket 22 (Figure l), which is pivoted at its medial point 23 to an oscillating bar 24, provided with trunnions 25 at its ends, which are ournalled in bearings 26 upon'the outer sides-0f thecasing l. Obviously the roll 21 may swing towards and about its pivotal connection 26, and may swing away from the roll due to the oscillation of the bar 24. The roll 21, however, is yieldingly pressed against the roll 20 by means of springs 27, confined between abutments 28 on the brackets 18 and the ends of the u shap'ed bracket 22, as shown in Figure 2.

Below the rollers 21 and 22 there isa trough guideway 29, comprising a pair of parallel walls as shown in Figure 4 and extending axially of the casing. A chute or deflecting plate 29 extends laterally from one wall of the guideway within the casing for directingthe clothes'that pass between the rolls 20 and 21 into an empty pocket in the conveyor 9.

A clothesremoving conveyor hasbeen provided which travels idly during the operation of the washing machine, but which is arranged when it is desired to remove the clothes, to intercept the same when leaving the rolls 20 and-21. To this end, a traveling conveyor belt 30 provided with spaced transverse slats 31, is supported for traveling movement within the guideway' 29 and beneath the rolls-20 and 21, upon suitable friction wheels 32, which are secured upon shafts 33 outwardly of the casing 1. The shafts 33 are jou'rnalled in bearing brackets 34 (Figure 3), depending from the beams 3 (Figure 3). Back bars 35 (Figure 3), are provided with upwardly extending arms 36, in which the shafts 33 are journalled upon opposite sides of the con'veyor'belt 30. Each rack bar 35 issl'idably supported upon a flat bar 37, supported in-suitable brackets 38 depending from the beams 3. The rackbars are adapted to be manually operated by the pi-ni'ons 39 which mesh ith said rack bars 35. These pinions are secured upon a shaft 40 which is suitably journalled in brackets 41, depending from the beams 3. The shaft 40 may be provided with a suitable crank handle 42,-whereby rotation may be impartedto the same.

In its normal position, the conveyor'belt 30- is in a position at one side of the rolls 20 and 21, and passes through the guideway 29- asshown in Figure 4. When it is desired to remove the clothes from thewashing' machine the shaft 40 may be manually operated for rotating: gears 39 which are. in engagement with the rack bars 35, causing the said rack bars to travel longitudinally, whereby the clothes removing conveyor and the guideway 29 may be moved directly beneath rolls 20 and 21 sothat the clothes passing between the rolls will descend upon the conveyor and be carried outside of themachine, as shown in Figure 2. It is obvious that after the clothes have been removed from the laundry machine, the conveyor may be shifted to idle position, as shown in Figure 4, by rotating the shaft 40 in the opposite direction.

The driving mechanism for the machine is housed in a supplemental casing 43, upon one side of the casing 1. The roll shaft 51 of the roll 20 extends beyond the supplemental casing 43 and is provided with a pulley 44, for connection with a source of power. A. worm gear 52 on the shaft 51 drives a worm 53 upon a small shaft 54 which is geared by sprocket chain 55 with one of the shafts 33 for operating the clothes removing conveyor. Upon the power shaft 51 and to the rear of the worm gear 52, there is a gear 46 which meshes with two gears and 47. The gear 45 drives the aforementioned gear 7 upon the shaft 6 of the flanged rolls 4, The gear 47 drives a gear 48 (Figure 1)v on a shaft 48* which carries another gear 49 which drives a gear 49 on the shaft 50 of roll 21.

The operation of the machine is as follows: the clothes are placed in some of the buckets of the conveyor 9, and of course, it is not necessary that all the buckets be filled. The machine is then started for rotating the bucket wheel 9 which will rotate in counter clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4. As each bucket reaches a predetermined position above the rolls 20 and 21, the clothes in said bucket will automatically drop therefrom, by gravity, upon the rolls 20 and 21 and passed between the same for squeezing out the washing fluid. After passing between the rolls 20 and 21, the clothes will fall upon the deflecting plate 29 and be deflected into an empty bucket in the bucket wheel 9. The same clothes may be again elevated and passed between the rolls a second or third time if desired. It will. of course, be understood that the clothes will be carried through the washing fluid in the bottom of the container 1, before passing through the rolls 20 and 21, so it might be said that the clothes are flrst immersed and then passed through squeezing rolls. The clothes may then be again immersed and passed through the rolls again as many times as desired.

After the clothes have been sulflciently cleansed, as just explained, and it is desired to withdraw the same from the washing machine, the crank 42 may be operated in the proper direction for rotating the shaft 40 and shifting the clothes removing conveyor 30 beneath the rolls 20 and 21, for intercepting the same as they pass from said rolls, and convey the same to a point outside of the washing machine. Of course, it will be understood that the washing fluid may be with drawn from the cylinder, and rinsing fluid substituted therefore, and the operation of the machine may be repeated for rinsing the clothes before they are removed.

If, however, it is desired to use the cleansing fluid a second time, the clothes may be removed from the machine by the conveyor 30,. as previously described and another batch of clothes may be placed in the washing machine, whereby the cleansing fluid may be used a second time.

Thus, it will be appreciated that this machine embodies means for simultaneously cleansing the clothes and wringing the same, and also embodies means for automatically removing the clothes as desired, by automatically conveying the same beyond the confines thereof.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A washing machine comprising a cylindrical stationary tub, a cylindrical rotating carrier within said tub, defining a passageway therethrough, said carrier having a plurality of peripheral buckets opening inwardly, a pair of squeezing rolls supported by said tub inwardly of said buckets within said passageway and between which the clothes are automatically dropped by gravity from said buckets, a conveyor within said passageway and extending outwardly of said tub and underlying said rolls for withdrawing clothes from the tub, and means for operating said conveyor carrier and rolls.

2. A washing machine comprising a cylindrical casing, a rotary ring-like cylindrical carrier therein defining a passage therethrough, spaced rollers for supporting said carrier, means for driving certain of said rollers for rotating the carrier, said carrier having a plurality of peripheral buckets which are open at the inner ends toward said passage and closed at the outer ends, said outer end closures being perforate, a pair of squeezing rolls arranged axially of said casing within said passage, one of said rolls being journalled in the casing walls and the other of said rolls being supported by the casing walls for oscillation, means for normally urging said latter roll toward the former roll, means for driving said first roll, gearing between said first and second rolls and between said first roll and the carrier driving rollers, and movable means under said squeezing rolls for directing clothes from said squeezing rolls to the carrier as well as outwardly of the casing.

3. A laundry machine including a stationary, horizontally disposed cylindrical fluid containing receptacle, a ring-like clothes car rier rotatable within said receptacle and including a plurality of peripheral buckets opening inwardly, said carrier defining a passage from end to end of said receptacle, a pair of squeezing rolls positioned in said passage and lying axially of said receptacle for receiving clothes from the buckets when the same reach the position above the rolls, a trough extending axially of said receptacle with an end projecting beyond a side of said receptacle and having an endless conveyor therein, said trough being movable into and out of position under the said squeeze rolls, driving mechanism for simultaneously operating said rolls, said carrier and said conveyor, and means for shifting said trough into and out of position under the said squeeze rolls, the trough, when shifted under the sa d rolls, receiving clothes discharged from said rolls and removing the same from said receptacle by said conveyor.

4. A washing machine includmg a hOIlzontally disposed cylindrical tub, a rotatable ring'like carrier in said tub defining a passageway therethrough, said carrler having buckets thereon which open into said passageway, squeezing rolls in said passageway extending axially of the tub, said rolls arranged to receive clothes dropped from said buckets, driving mechanism for said carrier, a clothes-removing conveyor beneath said rolls and within said passageway and laterally movable into and out of position beneath said rolls, said conveyor being operatively connected to said driving mechanism, and means for laterally shifting said clothes conveyor with respect to said rolls.

5. A washing machine including a horizontally disposed cylindrical tub, a ring-like clothes carrier therein, said carrier defining a passageway in said tub, said carrier having a plurality of buckets opening into said passagcway, a pair of corrugated rolls in said passageway and extending axially of said tub for receiving clothes dropped from said buckets, a trough in said passage beneath said rolls and having an end extending outwardly of the tub, said trough being movable laterally into and out of position underneath said rolls, an endless conveyor supported in said trough, a laterally extending deflecting plate attached to one side of said trough, said plate being arranged with re.- spect to said trough as to underlie said rolls for deflecting clothes therefrom toward the buckets underneath the same when the trough has been moved away from underneath said rolls, and means for moving said trough laterally.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES B. ASKEW. 

